Would life go on showing me new beauties I had not even imagined? My experience with E… and Lucille made the routine of school life almost intolerable to me. I could only force myself to study by reminding myself of the necessity of winning the second prize in the mathematical scholarship, which would give me ten pounds and ten pounds would take me to America. Soon after the Christmas holidays I had taken the decisive step. The examination in winter was not nearly so important as the one that ended the summer term, but it had been epoch-making to me. My punishments having compelled me to learn two or three books of Vergil by heart and whole chapters of Caesar and Livy, I had come to some knowledge of Latin: in the examination I had beaten not only all my class, but thanks to trigonometry and Latin and history, all the two next classes as well. As soon as the school reassembled I was put in the upper fifth. All the boys were from two to three years older than I was, and they all made cutting remarks about me to each other and avoided speaking to «Pat.» All this strengthened my resolution to get to America as soon as I could

at hand when I work on a draft proposal./ [close call] or [shave] {n. phr.} A narrow escape. /That sure was a close call when that truck came near us from the right!/ /When Tim fell off his bicycle in front of a bus, it was a very close shave./ [closed book]{n.} A secret; something not known or understood. /The mans early life is a closed book./ /For Mary, science is a closed book./ /The history of the town is a closed book./ [closed-door]{adj.} Away from the public; in private or in secret; limited to a few. /The officers of the club held a closed-door meeting./ /The committee decided on a closed-door rule for the investigation./ Compare: IN PRIVATE. [close down] or [shut down] {v.} To stop all working, as in a factory; stop work entirely; also: to stop operations in. /The factory closed down for Christmas./ /The company shut down the condom plant for Easter./ [closed shop]{n. phr.} 1